The origins of the SIG Sauer company lie in the company named Schweizerische Waggonfabrik (“Swiss Wagon Factory”), which was founded in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof (1817–1900), Heinrich Moser (1805–1874) and Johann Conrad Neher (1818–1877).The group pooled their engineering talents and created the Prelaz-Burnand rifle, known as the “Prélaz-Burnand 1859 or “Prelaz-Burnand 1860″rifle. The invention of this rifle is credited to gunsmith Jean-Louis Joseph Prélaz and army officer Edouard Burnand.